Scarlett Johansson is a Jewish American actress and singer. She was born on November 22, 1984 in New York City. Her father, Karsten Johansson, is a Danish-born architect, and her paternal grandfather, Ejner Johansson, was a screenwriter and director. Her mother, Melanie Sloan, a producer, comes from an Ashkenazi Jewish family from the Bronx. Johansson began her theater training at Professional Children’s School in Manhattan and graduated in 2002.

Johansson made her film debut in the 1994 film North and early in her career was nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead for her performance in 1996’s Manny & Lo. She rose to fame with her roles in 1998’s The Horse Whisperer and 2001’s Ghost World.

In 2003, Johansson made the transition to adult roles with her performances in Sofia Coppola’s Lost in Translation, for which she won a BAFTA Award, and Girl with a Pearl Earring. She earned Golden Globe Award nominations for both 2003 roles and a third nomination in 2004 for her role in A Love Song for Bobby Long.

Following an appearance in The Island, Johansson garnered a fourth Golden Globe nomination, for Best Supporting Actress, for her role in Woody Allen’s Match Point. She later appeared in Allen’s films Scoop (2006) and Vicky Christina Barcelona (2008). About her religious affiliation, Johansson described herself as Jewish when she was talking about Woody Allen: “I just adore Woody,” she said. “We have a lot in common. We’re New Yorkers, Jewish. We have a very easygoing relationship.”

Johansson regularly appears at the top of lists of the sexiest women in the world, most notably Maxim’s Hot 100, and was named Sexiest Woman Alive by Esquire and Sexiest Celebrity by Playboy.